This is an issue frequently addressed in our TPC Gatherings, Website Posts and discussions. From posts like “Is your Professional Portrait a Picasso or a Da Vinci?” through “Chance Favors the Prepared Mind” and “What’s Next,” The Pub Club stresses the need to own your career now and tailor your decisions, time and actions accordingly. ASM Careers has written a great article on just this issue and its value speaks for itself. So get started owning your career now, and take time to read it!
A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding your Career Goals
The career planning process can start at any time, but the overall rule is the sooner the better. The rule applies to anyone – whether you’re a junior undergraduate, 1st year graduate student, postdoctoral fellow or somewhere in between. The career planning process includes four steps:
- Understanding You – What are your interests, values, and skills?
- Exploration – What are the current career paths in the workforce and which do you find most interesting?
- Building Yourself and Your Network – What skills, experiences, and people do you need to get to career X, Y, or Z?
- Job Search – How do you put together a job application and execute the interview successfully?
This process is important because it will help you shape your career aspirations and make you more marketable for a particular career. In return, these steps will make it easier for you to put your application materials together, including: cover letters, resumes, CVs, teaching philosophies, etc.
Step One: Understanding You: The goal of step 1 is… READ MORE…